Cuomo bill would expand wage-deduction possibilities

Adhering to the self-imposed Monday deadline to introduce bills, Gov. Andrew Cuomo unveiled a proposal late last night that would expand an employee’s ability to elect for a deduction from their paycheck to pay for things such as day care and gym memberships.

Cuomo’s bill would allow employees to consent to wage deduction to pay for a handful of services or fees, such as college tuition, cafeteria purchases, and public transit tickets.

As it stands, the law only allows for paycheck deductions to pay for things like tax withholdings and insurance premiums.

“The law unduly restricts employees from deducting payments from their paychecks for valuable services provided by the employers,” reads a memo in support from the governor’s office. “This is disadvantageous to both employers and employees.”

Cuomo introduced the bill late Monday, meaning it can be voted on before lawmakers leave Albany on Thursday without waiving the mandatory three-day review period.